Various studies have elucidated that a variety of stresses exhibit diverse physiological and psychological effects on different individuals. Particularly, in modern society, which is sometimes referred to as “stressful society,” coping with the variety of stresses is a critical issue.
Among countermeasures against stress, a typical measure is mental control, including mental sedation or mental stimulation, which seem to contrast with each other.
Mental sedation is considered to be a typical mode of mental control for mitigating, through psychological healing, adverse mental conditions affected by stress.
In recent years, aromatherapy has become of keen interest as mental sedation means. In aromatherapy, essential oils such as lavender oil and chamomile oil have conventionally been confirmed to exhibit mental sedative effects in folk medicine. These essential oils are advantageous in that they provide a desired sedative effect in a considerably mild manner, since they exert mental sedative effects on the basis of the aroma thereof.
Mental stimulation is considered to be a typical mode of mental control for mitigating depressive conditions caused by stress.
In recent years, the aforementioned aromatherapy has also attracted attention as means for mitigating depressive conditions. Specifically, attempts have been made to mitigate depressive conditions by use of natural fragrances which according to folklore are known to have an arousal effect so as to provide a mental stimulative effect.
However, selection and formulation of natural fragrances which are used to provide a mental sedative effect or a mental stimulative effect are highly dependent on empirical knowledge of skilled aromatherapists, and these effects have not been completely elucidated. This may be largely attributed to the fact that natural fragrances such as essential oils used in aromatherapy are composed of many components of different types.
Regarding such components, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 6-172781 discloses that 1,3-dimethoxy-5-methylbenzene has a sedative effect; that the sedative effect is also expressed through inhalation of a vaporized perfume or similar material to which the compound has been added; and that the compound can be added to a variety of perfumes by virtue of its mild aroma so as to provide a mental sedative effect.
In order to obtain a stimulative effect more generally, studies have been carried out for identifying a component which exerts the stimulative effect and for producing a perfume composition to which the component has been incorporated. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 1-254629 discloses that a certain fraction obtained through distillation of lemon oil under reduced pressure, the lemon oil being, according to folklore, acknowledged to have a mental stimulative effect, can elevate the level of consciousness; and that the mental stimulative effect can be exerted through inhalation of a vaporized perfume composition or similar material to which the fraction has been added. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 11-196295 discloses that anisaldehyde—a single compound—is acknowledged to have a mental stimulative effect; and that a perfume composition to which the compound has been added exhibits a similar stimulative effect.
However, in order to actually obtain a mental sedative or stimulative effect in various scenes of daily life or in aromatherapy, formulation of such compositions must be determined simply and appropriately, in response to fragrance preferences of many people and to compatibility with a variety of co-used perfumes which people wear or use in a variety of situations of daily life. Therefore, it is required to find out substances which can attain mental control by exerting a variety of mental sedative or stimulative effects.
In addition, another essential requirement is to identify a number of components which exert a variety of mental sedative or stimulative effects, in order to attain mental control through incorporation of the components into a variety of perfume compositions or similar materials without greatly affecting the base aroma of the compositions or materials.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to find out a novel component having a mental control action such as a mental sedative action or a mental stimulative action and to produce a perfume composition for mental control containing such a novel component.